Sep 4, 2007

（Edited by freelance Chinese translator li – English to Chinese or Chinese to English translation services）Source:BUSIRBetween Giza and Sakkara lies the pyramid field of Abusir. The site was selected by kings of the 5th Dynasty, and should be regarded as a northern projection of the cemetery of Sakkara.Three partially destroyed pyramids command the landscape. The northernmost, of King Sahure, is particularly interesting on account of the remains of its funerary temple on the east side. Large portions of its basalt paving remain intact, as well as several architectural elements made of Aswan granite. Large inscriptions bearing the royal names were carved into the granite and painted. Wall reliefs of historical and artistic importance were discovered in the temple but were removed by the excavators.

Another monument of interest is the abnormally large mastaba of the Vizier Ptahshepses who was married to a princess. It contains a large columned court with delicate reliefs portraying the vizier. Two stone sarcophagi still occupy the burial chamber. Two granite columns of the "papyrus bundle" type decorate the entrance to the mastaba.

The German and Czech teams which excavated the site discovered important administrative papyri shedding light on routine activities in the local funerary temples. The kings of the 5th Dynasty accorded special emphasis to the cult of the sun gods (Re, Atum, Khepri) and to its main center at Heliopolis (near Cairo). Particularly prominent was the belief that the spirit of a dead king rose to the sky and merged with the sun, father of all kings. Accordingly, special sun temples were constructed at Abu-Ghurob, a few kilometers north of Abusir, for the cult of the solar aspect of the dead kings. The best preserved among the sun temples belonged to Niuserre. Its main feature is a built monument of pyramidal form, called benben, upon whose polished tip the sun was believed to settle every morning. A large alabaster offering table in the shape of four hieroglyphic signs, hetep (="offerings"), was placed in a large court, opposite the benben. Blood offerings were poured into long channels set upon the paving, and flowed into large alabaster basins.

Rare reliefs representing the seasons of the year decorated the walls of an adjacent cult chamber.

Mastaba of Vizier Ptahshepses at Abusir. The sumptuous pillared court is unusual for a mastaba as are many more features in this monument.Above: Granite cylindrical columns bear the names of King Sahure (5th Dyn.). They bore palmiform capitals and decorated the pyramid temple of the king. Below. Basalt paving and structural remains of the pyramid temple of Sahure. The pyramids of Abusir (all 5th Dyn.) in the background, are badly preserved.

Opposite: Solar temple of King Nyuserre (5th Dyn.) atAbu-Ghurob, near Abusir.Above left: Panoramic view to the east from the top of thepodium (see reconstruction). The pyramids of Abusir can beseen in the distance.Above right: The alabaster altar to the sun-god is shown indetail. The temple was connected by a steep causeway to avalley temple. The top stage of the benben (the obelisk) hasbeen destroyed. It served to catch the early rays of the sunand create the illusion that the sun was manifest in itstemple.98